Erik Kynard

Erik Kynard is an American high jumper born on February 3, 1991, in Toledo, Ohio. Standing 193 cm and weighing 86 kg, he won the Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Games after the original champion was disqualified for doping.

Kynard initially won silver at the 2012 Olympics with a height of 2.33 metres behind Russia's Ivan Ukhov. In 2019, Ukhov was disqualified for doping violations, and Kynard was awarded the gold medal. He was the 2011 and 2012 NCAA outdoor national champion at Kansas State University under coach Cliff Rovelto. At the Olympics, he was notable for his American-themed tube socks.

He won the U.S. national title in 2014 and 2015, tying his personal best and meet record of 2.37 metres in the latter. In January 2022, while unofficially retired, he accepted a six-month ban for receiving an IV saline infusion without a therapeutic use exemption. His upgraded Olympic gold makes him one of America's most decorated high jumpers.